The lowly business card : we don’t give it another thought before we get the thing printed up, and we simply do what everybody else does. Many people, new in business, get the company card printed before they’re really ready to, which induces lots of the mistakes that I list under. In both cases, new or experienced, we’re missing substantial opportunities to allow your small business card take some of their work off your own shoulders. We may take it for granted, but I feel your business card is among the most important pieces of marketing collateral, and the most under-utilized.

Here are my suggestions for how to have your company card functioning as hard as you do. If you would like to play together, pull out your business card and see if your card is guilty of some of these first four no-no’s.

1. Missing email. Believe it or not, lots of the cards that I receive via media meetings are missing email addresses. This is most common with new small business owners and people in the private care business, but still, there is no explanation.

2. An email address that ends with , , , or your ISP’s domain. Everybody in business for themselves must use their own domain (like @). This is free promotion of your internet site, so why are you advertising Yahoo!, Comcast, or AOL instead of yourself? Advertising a free email accounts as your organization email is just plain incorrect.

3. Glossy cards you can not write on. Okay, that is my pet peeve. It’s true, you are able to receive these cards printed at no cost on the Internet. That sends a loud message that you don’t even have the cash for business cards and that you do everything on the cheap. That’s not what I want folks to consider my business.

4. A web site address printed on the card which isn’t up yet. While I get a business card out of you, I’m very likely to see your web site to learn more. If it doesn’t come up, it tells me one of two things: you either didn’t cover your hosting company or webmaster, or you haven’t gotten into that job yet. Both are bad messages to ship.

Alright, how do you do? These are very basic, so in the event that you’ve been in business for a couple of years, you are likely doing well. So now let’s ask if your business card looks like it is from a small operation or a Fortune 500 company. How about these small business no-no’s?

5. Missing job title. Every business card should list your project title, particularly if you’re President or CEO.

6. Photo of you personally. This is tell-tale little business. I disagree with some people who feel that it helps during media; you could visit the web site and see their image there. A picture takes up precious card property and yells “ego.” It is just not the best thing to have on your card.

7. No logo. Every company needs a logo for branding its own image.

8. Clip art. Your logo needs to be the only art on your card.

9. Weird form. I really don’t feel the best way to stand out is via odd colours or contour of your business card.

Now, let us get to what really matters: the marketing. Here are some things to consider that very few others do this will help your outcomes with prospects:

10. 1 phone number. Prospects can get confused as to what number to call. List only one, or make it apparent when to predict what number. Don’t keep us guessing.

11. The company you are in. If you said nothing and passed your business card over to a stranger and asked them exactly what business you are in, could they figure it out? If not, neither can your potential. Make sure your tag line or company name clearly defines the business you’re in and if it does not, you will want to add something in your card that does.

12. What to do next. Get prospects into your funnel by telling them exactly what to do next directly on your business card. Can they get a free consultation? A free white paper? Make it clear on the card how they may sign up for the next step to get to know you.

How’d you do? I hope you passed, and if not, I see that a trip to your printer on your near future.